Brea man accused of performing unlicensed cosmetic procedures while impersonating a medical doctor
Photo: Elias Renteria Segoviano
A 61-year-old Brea man is accused of impersonating a medical doctor and targeting Spanish-speaking women in his unlawful practice of invasive cosmetic procedures.
The suspect, Elias Renteria Segoviano, allegedly performed numerous procedures on his unsuspecting victims, including lip and face fillers, Botox injections, and thread-lifting.
“Segoviano is accused of performing invasive procedures and injecting victims with potentially counterfeit Botox, fillers, anesthetics, and other medical drugs that placed the public at extreme risk,” according to a press release by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
Segoviano is being charged with several felonies and misdemeanors for his unlawful procedures. His felony counts are the following: false indication of a medical license, unauthorized practice of medicine, and perjury. His misdemeanor counts include misrepresenting self as a licensed medical practitioner, representation of license not issued to him or her, impersonating a professional nurse or pretending to be licensed to practice nursing, and misrepresentation of qualifications. Segoviano has pled not guilty to each of these counts.
At the time of his arrest, Segoviano was operating his business, “Botox in Anaheim,” inside the Phenix Salon Suites in Anaheim. Police took him into custody on July 19th at his workplace, located at 935 S. Brookhurst Street. He is being held in lieu of $1 million bail.
Segoviano is believed to have unlawfully practiced these cosmetic procedures since at least 2019 and operated his business under several names, including “Botox in Anaheim,” “Botox in Anaheim- Health and Beauty,” “Neurotoxina Botulinica-Massage Service,” “Threads in Anaheim, “Threads La Habra”, “Botox La Habra,” and “OC Threads, Botox & Fillers.” His La Habra business was located at 339 La Habra Boulevard.
Segoviano called himself “Dr. Elias,” “Dr. Elias Renteria,” and “Dr. Elias Renteria M.D.” on the Tiktok, Facebook, and other social media accounts he used to promote his services. He additionally had “ELIASMD” on the license plate of his vehicle.
“Medical professionals are highly trained and highly regulated for a reason,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer stated. “These women trusted this individual to have the training and the expertise required to perform these medical procedures, and instead they unknowingly put their very lives in the hands of someone who had no idea what they were doing.”
This case is being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Diran H. Tashjian of the Consumer and Environmental Protection Unit. If convicted on all counts, Segoviano faces a maximum of five years and four months in state prison.
Anyone who has been victimized by Segoviano and his unlawful procedures is asked to contact Investigator T. Hoang at 714-834-6538.
